Internet Protocol (IP) telephony is the process of converting voice into data packets for transmission on a data network such as a Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) or similar type network. The advantage of IP telephony over conventional, dedicated line telephone networks is that instead of relying on a physical telephone link and an associated telephone number identifying that physical link to establish a connection, an IP address directs the call to the appropriate IP device. Moreover, although compatible with the existing Publicly Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) such that local IP telephony networks can receive calls from the PSTN accompanied by the proper conversion device, IP telephony takes advantage of existing data networks such that long distance telephone calls can be made over the internet without incurring long distance charges.
Accordingly, IP telephony, particularly in business applications, has become increasingly popular, and telephones have been expressly designed for use with internet protocol. Conventional telephones, with the assistance of a station gateway that converts the voice signals to data packets, can also communicate using internet protocol. Some IP telephone sets provide a small graphical display for the user's benefit, however, many do not. Therefore, the amount of information available to a user to identify the person calling before the user takes the call is very limited. Typical telephone appliance displays provide at most a telephone number of the calling party and identify on which line the incoming call is received. Moreover, the information available to a user (if any) with respect to the incoming call is extremely limited partially due to the reduced, even lack of, graphical display, but even more so due to the limited intelligence these IP telephony devices have, further limiting the type, amount and manner in which the information can be displayed.
Accordingly, because IP telephony is limited in the amount of information that can be conveyed to a user regarding a caller, management of calls, e.g. taking a call, sending a call to voice mail, and even ignoring a call, is not effectively accomplished. Indeed, even with caller ID readily available making it possible to determine who is calling or being sent to voice mail, there is no way to monitor the remotely located voice mail to listen to the message as it is being left by the caller.